The Illinois 8th CD is currently held by Republican Joe Walsh, but after redistricting, Walsh's home will be located in the 14th CD. Illinois lost a Congressional seat after the 2010 Census revealed that population continues to shift away from the state and Democrats have projected as many as five GOP losses in the state due to partisan redistricting.

Akamai readers will remember that Duckworth was first mooted as a candidate for US Senate -- from Hawaii -- by Dan Inouye in a February 24 interview on Honolulu PBS Island Insights:

Mangieri: You didn’t mention Ed Case.

Inouye: Ed Case. There’s another one too—just brought to my attention—no one here has mentioned it--Tammy Duckworth. She was campaigning the last time. She’s very articulate. She’s a great heroine in the war. She’s a fellow graduate of McKinley, a graduate of the University of Hawaii. So she has legitimate footprints in Hawaii.

Now it appears that Inouye was not only taking the opportunity to take a swipe at Ed Case, but he was also creating pressure on Illinois Democrats by implying that if they didn’t step up to create a district for Duckworth, she would be brought to Hawaii to run.

"As honored as I am by all those who'd like me to run here — and I get asked that question all the time — my home and my National Guard unit are in Illinois. And if I run for office again, it'll be there."

Duckworth, now serving as Obama’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs, lost her 2006 Congressional District 6 race to Peter Roskam. In that race she was attempting to win an open seat long held by Republicans in a big Democratic year.